أحمد منصور

A sweeping historical epic tracing the life of Saladin from his humble origins to his unification of fractured Muslim kingdoms and his legendary recapture of Jerusalem from the Crusaders after nearly a century of occupation. Starring Jamal Suleiman and directed by the late Hatem Ali, written by Walid Seif — the same partnership behind Palestinian Alienation — this is widely regarded as one of the finest historical dramas in Arabic television, epic in scale yet deeply human in its portrayal of leadership, faith and sacrifice.

The series tackles a number of negative contemporary social phenomena, shedding light on the challenges encountered by young people, like violence against children, poverty, homelessness, begging, slave trade, motherhood, family disintegration, and honor crimes.

The show tells the story of a playwright, Jalal, who holds secular views, and his close friendship with Michel, his childhood friend. Michel initially worked as a lawyer but later transitioned to journalism, founding his own magazine in which he boldly addresses societal issues, drawing significant criticism. Additionally, the narrative explores themes of separating religion from civil and political life through a love story between a man and a woman from different faiths: Jalal (a Muslim) and Hanan (a Christian). Their relationship culminates in a secret marriage, which lasts until Jalal’s sudden passing. Throughout the story, the work focuses on two major issues related to secularism: the demand for a civil personal status law that permits civil marriage, and the call for a secular education system that allows students the freedom to seek their own truths instead of being indoctrinated with a predetermined "absolute truth." It also tackles issues of political and social corruption.